by Eric Alexander Hernandez Barraza, Graduate Student at the University of California, Irvine
Giacomo Di Pasquale, graduate student at Claremont University, presented his findings from the study Internal Migration and Inequality at the Subnational Level: A Causal Relation. Giacomo's identified factors that contribute to internal migration among the Italian population; among them were natural disasters. Analyzing the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, which killed over 300 people and left thousands more homeless, Giacomo identified trends in individual and family movements away from the earthquake epicenter.
Characteristics of the household also determine whether internal migration occurs. Households comprised of families are more likely to move due to the damaged infrastructure, such as parks and schools. However, elderly individuals are less likely to move from their damaged homes, despite the slow response by the government to conduct repairs.
Di Pasquale's paper will continue to analyze migration trends specifically related to natural disasters being the prime reason for relocating to another city within the country.